


On the Banks of the Eridanus

by Traxits



Category: DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Shazam (Comics)
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fic, Sweet, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:43:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6155530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traxits/pseuds/Traxits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason and Billy look at stars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Banks of the Eridanus

**Author's Note:**

> So I have a 100 prompt list that I’m slowly working my way down. I don’t know that I’m going to do all 100, so I haven’t posted it or anything, but this is prompt 34: Stars.

The breeze blowing into the room was why Jason opened his eyes, and he made a low noise as he pushed himself up. The sheets, still a little damp, had turned cold. The musky air was thick with the scent of sweat and lube and sex, but there was a breeze moving it. It brought the ocean inside, scented by the flowers that covered the island.

(Jason wasn't certain what the flowers were, but they were large and the exact shade of Kori's skin. Neither he nor Roy had been able to pull them up after she'd left. They pretended between them that they didn't care, but Roy had crouched down and stroke his fingers against those petals more than once. And to be honest, Jason had considered doing it too.)

His attention slid over to the figure leaning out on the balcony, and Jason sighed as he pushed himself up. He barely spared a thought for the pants he grabbed, and he had them on before he followed Shazam outside. The Earth's Mightiest Mortal stared up at the sky, and Jason's brow furrowed as he looked for whatever held Shazam's attention. There was no distortion of anything cloaked, no movement to indicate a missile attack or—

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Shazam murmured, and Jason glanced over at him. Shazam tilted his head, meeting Jason's gaze, and for a long moment they were both quiet. Then Shazam added, "The stars," and a warm smile tugged on those lips.

"Oh," Jason breathed, and he looked back up at the dark sky, punctured with countless pinpricks of light. "I hadn't looked," he finally admitted, shrugging. "I was more worried about how your stamina of Atlas is going to get me in trouble."

Shazam laughed, and somehow, he still managed to blush as he reached up to rub a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I don't... I don't think it's meant to be used for, you know, _this_ —"

"Mm." Jason smiled for the stammer, and he shook his head as he leaned against the railing. "Well, change then, if you're not planning on using it anymore tonight."

Shazam looked back up at the stars, and then he finally nodded. "Yeah," he said, his voice low. "Might as well, right? Here, get clear."

They'd been doing this long enough now that he knew the drill; Jason made sure Shazam could see both of his hands. Somehow, the lightning bolt still caught him by surprise. It scorched out the rest of the scent in the room. It left the too-sharp crackle of electricity, the tang of ozone and the crisp, barely describable scent of _change_. When Jason blinked the spots away from his eyes, Billy stood there. He wore the same black tank and dark blue jeans he'd been wearing hours ago, before he'd shazamed. Jason's gaze caught on the new red line sparking across Billy's shoulder, fracturing and arcing out across his skin. It would fade unless Billy shazamed again too soon. If he did, it'd be one more scar across him. Jason hadn't needed to see Billy shirtless to know that those pale white trees covered his skin, a forest of dead wood that had was the sacrifice Billy offered every time he—

"It's weird," Billy said, looking up at him again. He leaned forward, crossing his arms as he braced against the rail. He stood on the bottom of the rail to get a good, clear view. "I know these stars, but I... It's not _me_ that knows them."

Jason blew out a breath as he dragged his eyes away from the lightning to look back up at the stars. "It's Shazam?" he asked, but he already knew that answer. Still, it was worth the practice of making it a question, getting that last little distance from things Bruce had trained into him. He didn't want to be the knight Bruce had started forging. That knight was a lie, same as the red sweatshirt and the smile Billy wore every time someone noticed his scars.

"Yeah. Well, the wisdom of Solomon some, and some of it's just... knowledge. I don't know. There's too much to really make sense of sometimes."

Jason nodded, and they stood there until he noticed a shiver ripple down Billy's spine. Then he ducked back into the room to grab his jacket, and he draped it over those shoulders. If his fingers lingered over that newest red bruise, well, what of it? Billy wasn't complaining as he shrugged into the jacket, pulling it close around him.

"Orion," Billy said, and Jason looked up at the distinctive three-star belt. "That one's mine. I knew that one before. Probably the only one."

Jason considered that, wondering... he'd never asked Billy about his childhood. He'd never thought he had to, and it wasn't worth the inevitable feeling that it would open the door for Billy to ask _him_.

Jason had no interest in reliving those memories. Less interest in trying to piece together the flashes that he could pick out when he let himself try.

(Stars and too bright streetlights, the rush of falling with the knowledge that he was safe, that he had it, that B—)

"Eridanus," Jason said, and when Billy glanced up at him, he pointed. It wasn't far from Orion, after all, and he watched Billy squint at the sky, picking out the points of light. After another moment, Jason stepped over behind him and he took Billy's hand to help point out the pattern.

"The river," Billy said, and Jason nodded as he moved enough to put his chin on Billy's shoulder. Billy leaned back against him. He trusted Jason to keep him up because while Shazam could have caught himself if Jason moved, Billy wasn't fast enough. The thought twisted in Jason's chest, made him focus enough to draw another breath.

"And on the banks, there's Cetus."

"The sea monster," Billy agreed, and Jason turned his head just enough to nip at Billy's ear.

"I'm teaching you something. Stop showing off."

Billy laughed, and he tilted his head to look up at Jason over his shoulder. "I told you, I know these, I just—"

"They're not _yours_ ," Jason murmured. "I heard you. Now hush and listen, would you? On the banks of the Eridanus, there's Cetus, and you can see Andromeda just up there, Perseus not far from her side."

"Ready to slay the monster and protect her." Billy chuckled when Jason nipped him again, and Jason watched his eyes close, smile warm and easy on his lips.

"Something like that. C'mon. You ought to get some sleep."

"I wanna stay out here," Billy protested, but he didn't move or fight, even as Jason coaxed him into his arms. Jason glanced back inside, then up at the stars again. He sighed as he carried Billy in. Billy's arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he could feel the little shiver still running through him. It was almost always warm on the island, but the breeze off the ocean was chilly. Jason had no interest in the way Billy shivered for it.

"Grab that blanket," he said, and Billy let go only long enough to do just that before Jason carried him back outside. Stupid. Letting the kid get to him like this.

But as they settled on the balcony, Billy in his lap and in his jacket, looking up at the stars overhead, wrapped up in the blanket with Jason...

Well. That was pretty close to worth it.


End file.
